Bangalore police seek Interpol help to nab terror suspect

Bangalore, April 5 (IANS) The Bangalore police have sought the Interpol’s help to secure terror suspect Abu Hamza, who is hiding in Pakistan, for the attack in the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) here in 2005 in which one professor was killed, an official said Saturday. “We are writing to Interpol through the CBI (central Bureau of Investigation) for issuing a Red Corner notice on Hamza (28) after his associate Sabauddin (29), who masterminded the IISc terror attack, confessed to us during interrogation that the former had pulled the trigger killing IIT professor M.C. Puri and that he was in Pakistan currently,” Bangalore police joint commissioner (crime) Gopal Hosur told IANS.

Terming the confession a breakthrough in the two-year-old terror case, Hosur said police were able to collect more incriminating evidence from the leads given by Sabauddin, who was brought here from Lucknow March 29 by the Corps of Detectives (CoD) for cracking the case.

“We were able to recover a bag from the house rented by Sabauddin during his stay in the city and where the duo plotted the terror attack with others owing allegiance to the Pakistan-based banned Lashker-e-Toiba (LeT) terror outfit. The bag contained some personal articles, clothes worn by Hamza during the attack and incriminating papers, which indicate LeT’s role in the major incident,” Hosur noted.

Though the terror suspects had identified four targets for the attack in India’s silicon hub, they zeroed in on IISc because a major international conference was being held on that fateful day of Dec 28, 2005.

Sabauddin not only prepared the blueprint, but also provided logistics and facilitated Hamza’s escape from India.

The city police hope CBI will be able to extradite Hamza from Pakistan with the help of Interpol.

“Sabauddin, who is suspected to have also been involved in a blast case at Rampur in Uttar Pradesh, will be in our custody till April 10 for further investigations and corroboration of evidence gathered so far,” Hosur added.